Tweezers.



J. W. ERRINGER.

TWEEZERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- :4. 19m.

1,230,142. Patented June 19, 1917.

Ill

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JAMEs w. ERRINGER, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

TWEEZERS.

Application filed September 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES l/V. ERRINGER, :a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tweezers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying x drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tweezers more particularly intended for dental operations and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to produce tweezers made of a single piece of sheet metal, which are not only cheap to manufacture but are also efiicient for use for the purposes intended.

These objects as well as the several advantages of my invention will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of tweezers made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a view in side elevation of the same on an enlarged scale, as viewed. from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the tweezers.

Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of a sheet metal blank fro-m which my improved tweezers are formed.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings: The improved tweezers are stamped or cut from sheet metal, preferably aluminum. 5 indicates a sheet metal blank (see Fig. l) cut in the form to make my improved tweezers. As illustrated in this particular instance, the blank approximates an archers bow in shape, being of a greater width at its middle part and tapering on one edge toward its outer ends, which are preferably curved downwardly in the plane of the blank as a whole.

The blank consists of a midsection 6 and of arm sections 7 and 8 respectively. When said blank has been bent to form, the arm sections 7 and 8 provide the pick up arms Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 191"? Serial No. 120,174.

of the tweezers and the mid section 6 provides a resilient loop which acts as a spring hinge between said arms.

7 '8 indicate thetapered curved ends of the arms 7 and 8. These are provided with strengthening ribs 7 8", which are formed when the blank is stamped out. As is ap parent to those familiar with the art, it is not absolutely necessary to curve said points in the manner just described as they may also be made in that form known as straight points, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Each arm section 7 and 8, on its bottom edge adjacent to the mid section 6, is made of width greater than said mid section to provide depending ears 9. and 10 respectively which form a convenient part of the tweezers to be grasped by the fingers of the person using the same.

In connection with the pick up "arm of the tweezers, I provide a tamping arm 11. This arm is cut out of the mid section 6 and the adjoining part of the arm section 8 of the blank 5, as shown in Fig. 4 and terminates at its free end in a downwardly curved hook 12 located within the confines of the ear 10 of said section.

When the blank is bent into finished form, this tamping arm extends rearwardly from the mid section 6, in the approximate plane of the pick up'arm 7 Said tamping arm 11 is ribbed to provide rigidity, by displacing a part of the metal of said arm outwardly as shown. To impart a greater resiliency to the mid section 6 as a spring and to brace and strengthen that part of the section 8 from which the tamping arm 11 is cut, a similar rib 14: is provided which entirely surrounds the opening in the blank 5 defining said arm.

In forming tweezers from the finished blank the mid section 6 is bent into an incomplete tubular sleeve form about a mandrel with the sections 7 and 8 extending approximately radial from the ends of said incomplete tubular section, said sections or pick up arms 7 and 8 being spaced apart at their outer ends, a distance greater than at their inner ends. The tamping arm 11 will not be aifected in the bending of the blank upon the mandrel but will tend to assume its normal position, so that when the blank is in the finished form of tweezers, the tamping arm 11 will extend rearwardly in a position tangential to'the tubular spring part formed by the mid section 6 and approximately parallel with the plane of the arm 7.

My improved tweezers are particularly adapted for use in dental surgery, as when inserting cotton or other temporary or even final fillings into the cavities of the teeth. A small wad of cotton may be readily picked up between the curved ends of the arms 7 and 8 and placed within the tooth cavity. The tweezers are then reversed end for end within the hand and the cotton, tamped into the cavity by means of the tamping arm 11, the arms 7 and 8 providing the desired handle for the tamping arm.

My improved tweezers possess many advantagesnot apparent in tweezers as at present used for similar purposes. Being formed from a single piece of sheet metal they may be readily manufactured at a very low cost. They have no small cracks or crevices to fill up with foreign matter as will be found in tweezers as now used, hence my improved tweezers are sanitary and when made from aluminum they will be rust proof. The blank is of such shape as to necessitate but a minimum waste of metal.

My improved tweezers are of a form which imparts that handy feeling so desired by the user and may be readily reversed end for end within the hand of the user without the assistance of the other hand which may be engaged in other duties.

lVhile in describing my invention I have referred to certain details as to forms, shapes and arrangement of parts as well as to the forming of the tweezers from the blank, but as is apparent, these may be varied to suit diiferent requirements, hence I do not wish to limit myself thereto, except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Tweezers comprising a pair of integral pick-up fingers bent transversely of their longitudinal dimension to form a rounded spring member, and an integral tamping arm, struck out from one of the pick-up fingers and extending tangentially of and past the spring member in a direction opposite from that of the pick-up fingers.

2. Tweezers comprising a pair of pick-up fingers consisting of a single member bent transversely between its ends, to form a spring, said pick-up fingers having lateral enlargements adjacent to said spring, and a tamping arm struck out from one of said enlargements and said spring, said arm extending tangentially of and beyond the spring in a direction opposite from that of said finger.

3. The method of forming combined tweezers and a tamping bar from'a single metal blank, which consists in stamping the blank to form a tweezer finger. at each of the portions thereof, and an enlarged central portion, cutting out from said central portion a tamping bar integrally joined'to the blank, and thereafter centrally bending one of the fingers of the blank, adjacent the point of juncture of said bar, to cause the fingers to lie in substantial parallelism, and the tamping bar to lie in substantially the plane of the other finger, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of September A. D. 1916.

JAMES WV. ERRINGER.

Vitnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, KARL WV. DOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, I). C. 

